Have you ever noticed that your dog’s eyes start glowing as soon as the sun goes down? Or perhaps you’ve snapped a photo of your dog, and their eyes are little light orbs? Well, we have the answer as to why dogs’ eyes glow at night.
The Optic Anatomy
In the dark, your dog’s eyes react differently to light exposure because their eyes have what is called a tapetum lucidum, essentially, a light reflective surface. It is located between the optic nerve and the retina and works as a mirror. This allows for the rods and cones in a dog’s eye to pick up the limited amount of light available. It basically is there to help your dog see better at night!
While all dog’s eyes glow, they don’t all glow the same color. Every dog has a varying amount of pigment in his or her retina that can affect the color. The color can also be affected by age and other factors. You may have two dogs of the same breed, but they will have different color glowing eyes – even if their normal eye color is the same.
Fascinating, right?! Now you know why dogs’ eyes glow at night!
